Dispersion mill



Nov. 7, 1944,

F. A. SULLIVAN DISPERSION MILLS Filed Sept. 8, 1942 //M SZl//Z/d-WINVENTOR.

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ATTURNEYS Patented Nov. 7, 1944 DISPERSION MILL Frank A. Sullivan, Salem, Mass., assiznor to Trl- Homo Corporation, Salem, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 8, 1942,l Serial No. 457,659 l .2 Claims.

My invention relates to grinding apparatus, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved dispersion mill.

The drawing illustrates a longitudinal sectional' view of a mill in accordance with my invention.

In the embodiment` of the invention selected for illustration, I make use of a rotor I threadedly connected at I2 with a drive shaft I4. This shaft is supported in roller bearings, one of which is illustrated at I6. The innerv race I8 is mounted on the shaft I6 and the outer race 20 is mounted inside a tube 22.

To one end of the tube 22 is threadedly connected a tubular neck 24 fixed to a head plate 26. This neck is slidably guided in a bore 28 in a bearing 30 mounted on a base 32. Thus the tube 22 is supported in the bore 28 through the medium of the neck 24, and the opposite end of the tube may be supported in a bearing 34 mounted on the base. While the neck 24 is movable axially inside the bore 28, the neck 24 is keyed against rotation by means of a pin 36 riding in a groove 38 in the neck. The neck may be adjusted longitudinally of the axis of the bore through rotation of the tube 22.

A stator 40 is attached to the head plate 26 by bolts 42 4extending through a iiange 44 on'the stator and threaded into the head plate. This stator is provided with grinding faces 46, 48 and 56, which faces are of frusto-conical contour with different tapers. The face 46 has a small angle taper with respect to the axis of the shaft I4. The face 50 has a slightly greater taper while the face 48 has a considerably greater taper. All the faces are straight longitudinally but are curved concentrically of the axis of the shaft I4. 'I'he faces 46, 48 and 50 are also of progressively larger diameters, respectively.

The rotor I0 is also provided with grinding faces 52, 54 and 56. These faces respectively coact with the faces 46, 48 and 50, and are of correspondingly shaped contours.

through rotation of the tube 22 for shiftingthe neck 24 axially of the opening 28. To this end, a worm gear 58 is fixed to the tube 22 and meshes with a, worm 60, which may be manually rotated to attain the desired operating space between The spacing. between the stator and the rotor may be varied I0. This bushing is extended through an opening 12 in a stator cover 14 having threaded cori-- nection with the stator at 16. To the opposite end of the elbow 64 is attached a material containing hopper 18, this end of theelbow being arranged vertically so that the material will gravitate into the chamber 10 for processing purposes.

The drive shaft I4 is held against axial movement to maintain the rotor III in predetermined spaced relation Iwith the stator 4U by any preferred known means, as for example the combination pulley and thrust enlargement 12 bearing against the` outer face of the shaft bearing 34 and which may bear against a second shaped bearing as shown in my Patent #2,297,637 dated September 29, 1942.

In operation, centrifugal forces generated by the rotor cause the solution of materials to be thoroughly mixed in the chamber 10, in addition to reducing the large lumps or particles to a uniform size, thereby permitting the material to enter between the multiple angle faces of the stator and the rotor.

'Ihe multiple angle faces between the rotor and the stator, are adjusted vto any desired clearance, the center angle is proportionally open four times the size of the first and third angles. This additional opening is instrumental in making the edges of the angles to have a `glass cutter edge, thereby causing a cutting and shearing action on the particles and globules. In addition the opening or space 62provides a dispersing chamber of four times the" size of the spaces between the first and thirdangles, thereby creating a draft action to draw the material -through the spaces for the sharp edges to perform their work. Withoutl such a space, the materials would not be drafted through the mill in accordance with my invention, since the edges cause a change of direction and position and a different phase of action. In the third place, the space or chamber functions as a homogenizing chamber, without air, that changes the product by means of the physical action imparted thereto to a homogeneous mass of solution, thus changing the many types and sizes of particles and globules to a uniform color, size and shape.

The third or final space retards the flow from the dispersion or homogenizing chamber to give the material sufilcient time for final action to insure uniformity.

The tremendous speed of the rotor I0 creates such a disturbance in the chamber 10 and so violently agitates the substance therein that when passing through the extremely narrow multiple angles 46, 48 and 5B of the stator and the angles 52, 54 and 56 on the rotor and contacting the knife edge on the stator defined by the intersection of the angles 48 and 48 and the knife edge on the rotor deined by the intersection of the angles 54 and 5B, the result is a complete breakdown of all atoms in the original substance.

l'lllhis machine performs emciently in the manufacture of leather'iinishes, paper coatings, textile iinishes and sizings, printing and lithograph inks, paints, varnishes and lacquers, rubber dispersions, dairy and few products, emulsions (lacquers and wan), phceutlcals and cosmetics, etc.

The rear face et of the rotor I is spaced from the head plate 2G to provide an outlet chamber t2. An opening 8f3 is provided in the head plate for delivering the processed materials to a chute tt. The shaft it may be driven by an electric motor, not shown. mounted on the base 32.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions oi service.

I claim:

1. In a mill of the character described, a rotor, said rotor being formed with circumferential faces at each end and on its intermediate portion, said iaces having a decreasing taper toward the front end of the rotor, said end faces proximating cylindrical surfaces and the intermediate face having a comparatively abrupt taper proximating a plane transverse to the axis of the rotor, a stator adapted to assume complementary relation with the rotor having" its interior shaped to provide faces corresponding to said faces of the rotor and adapted to assume co-acting relation with the latter, the co-acting faces being formed so that in any selected clearance adjustment oi the rotor the co-acting intermediate faces will be spaced apart a distance substantially greater than the distance between the co-acting faces at each end, whereby matter passing axially between the co-acting faces is subjected to dispersion in the relatively enlarged chamber provided between the intermediate faces.

2. In a mill of the character described, a rotor, said rotor being formed to provide circumferential faces at each end and a face intermediate said end faces. said faces having a decreasing taper toward the front end of the rotor, said end faces making a very small taper angle with relation to the rotor axis and the intermediate tace making a great angle with relation to said rotor axis, a stator disposed to assume complementary relation with the front of the stator and nai/ius its interior shaped to provide faces corresponding to said faces of the rotor so as to assume coecting relation with the latter, the co-acting end Races being disposed to form sharp angles at their juncture with the intermediate faces, the co-acting faces being formed so that in any selected clear ance adjustment of the rotor the 3o-acting intermediate faceswill be spaced apart a distance several times the distance between the co-actlng faces at each end, whereby matter passing axially between the cci-acting faces is subjected to cutting action at `the angular junctions and to dispersion in the relatively enlarged chamber pro.

S5 vided between the intermediate races.

FRANK A. SAN. 

